| ID | 191938 |
| Title Proper | Literature, Power, and the Silk Road Literary Festival |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Ibbotson, Sophie |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | I have always read hungrily: English literature and works translated into English, then literature in French, Hindi and Urdu, and latterly (and with an unanticipated amount of difficulty) Russian. I revel in the prospect of an evening tucked up in bed with the words of Premchand or Ghalib, Rushdie, Allende, Pahmuk, or Shafak. I have many more books than space on bookshelves but what was missing from my reading lists, until recently, were works by Central Asian authors. Any literature lover in such a situation is missing out, but it was a particular embarrassment for me as I have spent most of the past 15 years working in Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics, and my personal and professional lives are inextricably entwined with the region. I cook non and samsa; have artworks by Uzbek, Kazakh, and Tajik artists on the walls; study and am fascinated by the region’s history and architecture; and have the most wonderful Central Asian friends and colleagues. My lack of understanding and appreciation of Central Asian literature was therefore a glaring hole in the centre of my personal jigsaw. |
| `In' analytical Note | Asian Affairs Vol. 54, No.1; Mar 2023: p.125-139 |
| Key Words | Power ; Literature ; Silk Road Literary Festival |